When two industry leaders merge, the real challenge begins after the deal closes: how do you bring a new brand to life without losing the trust built over decades? Following the 2023 merger of ALD Automotive and LeasePlan, the newly formed Ayvens needed more than updated logos. They needed a strategic partner to translate international brand guidelines into a locally resonant experience across Belgium. Together, we delivered a holistic rebranding strategy that transformed digital assets, physical locations, and internal communications into one coherent brand ecosystem, all within 1.5 years.
Post-merger rebrand rolled out across all customer touchpoints
Strategic translation of international brand identity to Belgian market
200+ digital designs developed and rebranded
Six physical locations completely transformed
Three expertise domains working as one integrated team
1.5-year intensive collaboration from strategy to execution
The challenge
How do you bring a new international mobility brand to life locally with impact at every touchpoint, whilst maintaining the customer trust and brand value built by two legacy brands over decades?
The solution
A holistic rebranding strategy built on three pillars: strategic translation, creative implementation, and efficient collaboration. This transformed 200+ digital assets, six physical locations, and all internal communications into one coherent brand ecosystem.
Ayvens x iO: co-pilots in the race towards tomorrow's mobility
Ayvens is one of Belgium's largest leasing companies: a financially strong, publicly listed group born from the merger of ALD Automotive and LeasePlan in 2023. The name fuses "way", "heaven", and "advance", reflecting their ambition to make life flow better through sustainable, flexible mobility solutions. Today, they deploy a fleet of 3.3 million vehicles across 42 countries, including more than half a million electric vehicles.
Our partnership began in 2018 as marketing automation consultancy for ALD Automotive and has grown into a trusted, long-term collaboration built on mutual respect. As their strategic partner, we act as co-pilot on their journey towards tomorrow's mobility: we challenge them, provide strategic advice, and embed dedicated team members to support marketing automation implementation. This case spotlights one chapter of that ongoing journey.
Why rebranding after a merger demands more than a logo change
Mobility is undergoing a fundamental shift. Under pressure from urbanisation, traffic congestion, electrification, and sustainability requirements, more consumers are switching from owning a car to using one, and from single-mode to multimodal solutions.
ALD Automotive and LeasePlan were ahead of this curve, focusing on fleet electrification a decade ago, long before it became mainstream. By merging into Ayvens, they champion a vision of mobility that goes beyond traditional leasing and fleet management. But a merger on paper means little without a unified brand that customers, employees, and partners can rally behind.
Rolling out this rebrand was the final piece of bringing together two legacy brands. The challenge? Whilst the new brand identity was set internationally, it needed to come alive locally, with a uniform presence that maintained the trust built over decades.
How do you roll out a brand identity across all touchpoints?
A successful local brand rollout requires more than applying international guidelines. It demands translating the brand identity to the local context and implementing it consistently across every aspect of the organisation. We tackled this through a three-step framework:
Strategic translation
We translated the international brand identity into locally relevant expressions, with the core values, positioning ("Better with every move"), and the mission to make mobility more sustainable, easier, and better at the centre.
Creative implementation & campaigns
We developed over 200 digital designs and redesigned six physical locations, including showrooms, offices, and car markets. We handled signage, wayfinding, creative office décor, and brand implementation across the vehicle fleet. We adapted all printed materials and rewrote letters and documents according to the new brand's tone of voice. Additionally, we developed the media plan for awareness campaigns, created social assets, and prepared dozens of email communications.
Efficient collaboration
Through joint workshops, we set up a bespoke JIRA structure to optimise collaboration and work more efficiently. Weekly status meetings and close collaboration with various departments ensured consistent rollout of the new brand identity, both internally and externally.
How do you maintain customer trust during a rebrand?
The biggest risk in any post-merger rebrand is losing the trust customers placed in the legacy brands. Two companies with decades of reputation don't simply become one overnight in the minds of customers.
Our approach centred on strategic translation rather than wholesale replacement. We preserved what made each legacy brand trusted whilst introducing the new Ayvens identity gradually across touchpoints. By maintaining consistency in tone of voice, ensuring every customer communication reflected the new brand values, and transforming physical locations to match the digital experience, we created continuity rather than disruption.
The result: a brand that radiates innovation and sustainability, core values essential in the evolving mobility market, whilst honouring the heritage of its predecessors.
What makes a good strategic partner for post-merger rebranding?
A rebrand of this scale isn't a project; it's a transformation. It requires a partner who understands not just design, but business context, market dynamics, and organisational change.
We were uniquely positioned because our collaboration with ALD Automotive had begun five years earlier. We understood their vision, their market, and their customers. This allowed us to move beyond execution into genuine strategic partnership: challenging assumptions, advising on priorities, and embedding team members directly within Ayvens to support implementation.
The 1.5-year timeline demanded more than creative talent. It required three expertise domains (copy, creative, and client services) working seamlessly together, weekly status meetings, and a collaboration structure built for speed and consistency.
How long does rebranding after a merger take?
For Ayvens, the intensive rebranding collaboration spanned 1.5 years, from strategic translation through to full implementation across all touchpoints. This timeline encompassed:
Development and rebranding of 200+ digital designs
Complete transformation of six physical locations
Adaptation of all printed materials and internal communications
Creation of awareness campaigns, social assets, and email communications
Ongoing marketing automation support
The timeline reflects the reality of post-merger rebranding: it's not a one-time launch, but a sustained effort to embed a new identity into every corner of an organisation.
1+
digital designs developed and rebranded
1
physical locations completely transformed
1
years of intensive collaboration on rebranding
1
expertise domains (copy, creative, and client services) working seamlessly together
1
vehicles in Ayvens' global fleet
1
countries where Ayvens operates
1+
electric vehicles in the fleet
A brand that flows like mobility itself
The new brand identity has been consistently implemented across all touchpoints, from digital platforms to physical locations, so that customers, employees, and partners receive a uniform brand experience that builds trust. Ayvens now operates from an international vision, yet remains nationally anchored with local, specialised teams.
Successfully rolling out this massive rebranding project within the set timeframe confirms what a strategic partnership can achieve: by combining expertise in brand design, content creation, and marketing, we delivered a holistic solution that supports Ayvens' business objectives. Ayvens' journey has only just begun, and we're proud to be their partner as they redefine mobility, making life flow better, with every move.
